Istanbul: Protests have 'no bearing' on 2020 bid

ISTANBUL (AP) — Organizers of Istanbul's bid for the 2020 Olympics say the anti-government protests in Turkey "will have no bearing" on its ability to host the games.

The bid has been rattled by nearly two weeks of protests in Istanbul and dozens of other cities. It's the biggest test yet in the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Istanbul is competing against Madrid and Tokyo. The IOC will select the host city on Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Istanbul's bid committee says feedback from IOC members and Olympic officials "continues to be positive and very understanding" and "the majority of people we have spoken to recognize that 2020 is still seven years away."

It adds "this situation will have no bearing on our ability to deliver our games concept."